The Iowa Department of Transportation turned down applications for all the city’s 23 stationary ticket cameras — and the vast majority of such cameras in other cities across the state — as part of a recent legislative overhaul.
News of the rejection came at 4 p.m. Monday — just ahead of an Oct. 1 deadline — and the cameras quit ticketing Monday night.
“This is a gut punch to the city,” said Aaron McClelland, a captain with the Waterloo Police Department.
“To all cities,” said Waterloo Police Chief Robert Duncan.
Traffic cameras, like the ones at U.S. Highway 218 and Mitchell Avenue in Waterloo, will need permits from the Iowa Department of Transportation under a new law passed by the Legislature.
The city of Waterloo brings in about $1.16 million annually from the ticket cameras.
In the past, the money paid for the police departments’ Axon body cameras and related software system, which costs more than $400,000 a year, with the remainder going to the city’s general fund.
The Iowa Department of Transportation turned down applications for the Waterloo ticket cameras because they were “not least restrictive means,” meaning police could use other means to control speeds at the locations while protecting residents’ rights.
Duncan said the rejection came without further interpretation or explanation.
“I’m thinking they want us to be at these locations with a cop,” Duncan said.
Traffic cameras, like the ones at U.S. Highway 218 and Mitchell Avenue in Waterloo, will need permits from the Iowa Department of Transportation under a new law passed by the Legislature.
Duncan said the ticket cameras have decreased accidents. Police said the cameras were effective at addressing speeding in the city while freeing up officers to answer other calls for service.
They were also credited with allowing for speed enforcement without putting officers at risk of being hit by passing motorists or injured in a confrontation with drivers.
“It’s virtually impossible to do what these cameras are doing for traffic safety based on our call load and how many cops we’ve got,” Duncan said.
Under the directive, Waterloo will still be able to use mobile traffic enforcement cameras — the handheld Dragon system and a camera set up in a vehicle dubbed “Rambo” — in 15 approved locations in school zones.
The stationary cameras will still be able to issue red light tickets, police said.
Waterloo and other cities have been using ticket cameras for years. Earlier this year, Iowa lawmakers passed legislation requiring DOT approval of existing fixed cameras and placing a moratorium on new camera locations. The measure also dictated speed thresholds for the tickets, set up a fine schedule, and mandated that collected funds be put toward transportation infrastructure and police and fire expenses.
Cities with existing cameras had to apply to the DOT to continue running the devices.
Statewide, only 11 of the 239 stationary cameras were approved by the Department of Transportation .
Hudson’s six cameras were rejected as “not necessary.” All the cameras in Fayette, Independence, Oelwein, Postville and West Union were turned down for similar reasons.
Cameras in Charles City, La Porte City and Tama were rejected because they weren’t active before a January 2024 deadline.
The only approved stationary traffic enforcement cameras in the state are at the following locations:
- Cedar Rapids — Interstate Highway 380 at Diagonal Drive ; I-380 at J Avenue ; Williams Boulevard at 16th Avenue north and southbound.
- Davenport — Harrison Street at 35th Street northbound; Kimberly Road at Brady Street north and southbound; Welcome Way at Kimberly Road southbound.
- Des Moines — 4700 block of Interstate Highway 235.
- LeClaire — 2300 block of Cody Road.
- Marshalltown — 1600 block of Lincoln Way.
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